A NORTH-west Euro MP's campaign for shock anti-smoking pictures on cigarette packs has received a major boost.

Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies is celebrating after representatives of the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament agreed to back new legislation governing the sale of tobacco.

Ministers from all 15 EU governments over-ruled opposition from the European Commission and backed his plan, which he says aims to weaken peer pressure on young people to start smoking.

From the end of next year the British government will have the right to order tobacco firms to put colour photographs or other illustrations on cigarette packs if it believes it may lead to a reduction in smoking. Graphic pictures of heart and lung disease, male sexual impotency, and gangrenous limbs have been used on cigarette packs in Canada since the beginning of the year.

The EC could also order reductions in the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes, a substantial increase in the size of written health warnings on cigarette packs, and the removal of misleading terms such as ''mild'', ''light'' and ''low tar.''

Mr Davies said: ''We don't yet know whether the use of these pictures will be effective or not, but if the Canadian experiment proves successful there are now no obstacles to us quickly copying the example in Britain.''

Mr Davies's first attempt last year to secure backing for his proposals failed.